Khanom Jeen Nam Ngiao (Northern Noodles in Pork & Tomato Broth)
Soft rice noodles in a spicy, tangy broth of pork ribs, tomatoes and dried chilli paste, topped with bean sprouts, cabbage, crispy garlic and lime.
- Region
- Northern Thailand
- Condiments
- Fish Sauce, Shrimp Paste
- Vegetables
- Lemongrass, Bird’s Eye Chilli, Thai Shallots, Garlic, Dried Red Chillies, Coriander Leaves, Bean Sprouts, Pickled Mustard Greens
- Fruits
- Lime
Ingredients
- Paste: 8 dried long red chillies, deseeded, soaked and chopped
- Paste: 2 stalks lemongrass, sliced
- Paste: 6 small shallots and 8 cloves garlic, chopped
- Paste: 1 tbsp shrimp paste and ½ tsp salt
- 500 g pork ribs, cut into short pieces
- 2 litres water
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 300 g minced pork
- 400 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tbsp dried red cotton tree flowers (dok ngiew), soaked (optional)
- 2–3 tbsp fish sauce
- 400 g fresh khanom jeen rice noodles, or thin dried rice vermicelli, cooked
- Toppings: bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, pickled mustard greens, crispy fried garlic, coriander, lime wedges, dried chilli flakes
Instructions
Nam ngiao is northern Thailand’s great noodle soup, named after the Ngiao (Shan) people. The broth is red, tangy from tomatoes and deeply savoury from pork ribs and a dried chilli paste, and it is poured over soft, fresh rice noodles with a pile of crunchy toppings.
The dried flowers of the red cotton tree (dok ngiew) give the broth a subtle earthy taste and a soft texture. They are traditional but optional.
Method
- Put the ribs in a large pot with the water. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, then simmer gently for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pound or blend the paste ingredients until smooth.
- Heat the oil in a wok and fry the paste for 3 minutes until fragrant. Add the minced pork and fry, breaking it up, until cooked. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until they start to soften.
- Tip the pork and tomato mixture into the pot with the ribs. Add the soaked cotton tree flowers if using. Simmer for another 30 minutes until the ribs are tender and the broth is rich and red.
- Season with fish sauce. Taste: it should be savoury, gently sour from the tomatoes and moderately hot.
- Divide the noodles between bowls and ladle the broth, ribs and pork over them. Serve the toppings on the side so everyone can add their own.
Cook’s tips
- Fresh khanom jeen noodles are fermented rice noodles sold in nests in Thai grocers. Thin rice vermicelli is a good substitute.
- The broth tastes even better the next day. Keep it separate from the noodles.
Aroy Mak Mak
Aroy Mak Mak is a small team writing about the food of Thailand and its neighbours: recipes you can cook at home, guides to the ingredients behind them, and places worth travelling for. The name means "very delicious" in Thai. Every recipe on the site lists its ingredients, timings and method in full, explains the techniques that matter, and suggests substitutes for ingredients that are hard to find outside Thailand. The guides to regions, condiments, vegetables and fruits explain what things are, how they are used and how to buy and store them. Place pages are researched from current sources, including the latest Michelin Guide Thailand, official websites and maps, and give addresses, opening hours and what to order. Where a detail could not be confirmed, it is left out rather than guessed.